


Revenge Is Best Served Cold

by Nipan



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Blood, Blood and Injury, Character Death, Choking, Death, Graphic Description, Heavy Angst, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Injury, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Murder, Non-Consensual Kissing, Pain, Psychological Trauma, Revenge, Sad, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-12-30 04:27:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18308177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nipan/pseuds/Nipan
Summary: Caustic had left for only a moment. And he'd heard it. He had heard Octavio's last moments.He came face to face with the people that had ended him.He had threatened, cried. Swore vengeance.They had laughed.Well they weren't laughing now.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please heed tags

"Wait," the desperation in the voice had Alexander Nox turning, the hand tightly gripping the edge of his overcoat only further accentuating the other's fear. He looked down at Octavio Silva, the daredevil staring back up at him with those startlingly clear, green eyes, goggle pushed up to rest on his forehead. "Promise you'll come back for me."

 

Caustic frowned behind his mask, moving to kneel beside the younger man, silent as he looked him over again. The speedster's legs were twisted and bent from the grenade he had all but stood on top of when it blew, the scientist ripping his eyes away from them to push Octane's hand away from the messy bandage on his side. Blood was already seeping through, staining the pure white an alarming red.

 

"Can you believe it,  _compadre?_ " Octane questioned, voice shaking even as he tried to look amused. "A grenade,  _amigo_ ," the racer laughed, pain etching itself across his handsome features as it jostled his side. "Talk about deja vu."

 

Crouching where he was, Caustic stared down at Octane, heart sinking rapidly. He had to find a medkit. If he didn't, the racer would be eliminated from the games. And if he left to find a medkit and didn't make it back in time... He'd lose Octane's banner and the younger would still be eliminated.

 

Caustic pushed himself to his feet, looking over his shoulder towards the nearby hills. The Cascades shouldn't be far. He could make it there and back fast enough should the situation prove dire.

 

"I'll be back," the scientist muttered softly, turning to leave again. There was no fingers grasping for his overcoat this time, no soft pleas for him to stay... The older contestant paused for a moment, turning to look back down at Octane, the speedster looking back up at him through half-lidded eyes. "I promise."

 

He'd left then... Left Octane behind in the shade of the cliff-face, leaning upright against a rock.

 

And that proved to be the biggest mistake he'd ever make.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Octane lay back against the rock face, eyes half closed, features twisted into a grimace as he tried to ignore the pain in his side. He'd felt worse pain, sure, well... He'd been unconscious for the aftermath of his world-famous grenade stunt, but Octavio had still dealt with worse pain. He began to wonder if it was the physical pain of his side eating away at him, or the fear that Caustic wasn't going to come back for him. The scientist had won the Apex Games solo on more than one occasion, after all.

 

The heat was stifling, seemingly to defy the fabric of reality to press against his chest, making it harder to breath. The arid breeze blew against whatever skin it could reach, bringing dust, sand and.... voices? Lifting his head from it's resting place, Octane's brow furrowed, heart skipping a beat as it recognized the nearby danger. The racer turned his head slightly, straining to hear what was being said.

 

"It doesn't lie."

 

"Well we've been walking for longer than we should've. I thought that thing pointed the way to  _nearby_ loot."

 

"Your lack of patience tires me, Vampyr."

 

 _Vampyr._ Octane felt his blood go cold, the speedster shifting onto his good side, trying to drag himself away with his left arm, the right pressing against the wound on his side. Pain tore through him with the movement, Octavio nearly biting through his lip as he attempted to stifle the sounds of pain.

 

"Well look at what we have, here."

 

Octane couldn't stop the soft whine of fear that made itself known, the speedster fighting down a sob as he continued trying to pull himself away, a boot pressing down between his shoulder's effectively halting any other movements.

 

"Told you." The first voice spoke up, gruff and somewhat smug.

 

"Oh, I'm impressed that your little compass can point us in the direction of a half-dead contestant." The somewhat feminine voice quipped, obviousely annoyed.

 

"It points to high level loot," the first answered, unfazed. "And he has it."

 

Octane shut his eyes as he lay face down in the grass, panting both from the effort of moving as well as from the heavy weight on his back that was starting to restrict his breathing. "Just take it, and go," the speedster groaned, fists clenching tightly. "I don't care. Just let me die."

 

"Tav?"

 

Octavio bit his lip when he heard Alexander's voice over their joined headset, refusing to answer. He couldn't answer. He couldn't endanger his lover. If he stayed quiet, maybe the scientist would assume he was locked in delirium.

 

Movement in the corner of his eye had Octane turning his face towards it. He stared at them, green eyes tired and dull. Long lashes framed two orbs of odd gold, long red hair falling around the pale face, features fine and delicate. "Oooooh," they murmured, a wicked smile spreading across their lips. "Reaper, it's Caustic's little friend."

 

"Is it?" The eerie voice rasped, cold, rough fingers grabbing the back of Octane's neck to flip him onto his back, causing the speedster to cry out in pain.

 

"Tav? Tav, who's with you?" Caustic's voice was sounding concerned now, and Octane shook his head violently. "Nobody! I'm nobody!"

 

"Octavio Silva," the third made their appearance now, a half-skull mask covering to upper half of their face. "Careful, Vampyr. Get to close and you might drop dead." 

 

Vampyr hissed in response, obviously unhappy with the joke.

 

Octane couldn't believe he was so unlucky. That the  world-renowned death group would be the ones to find him. Incapacitated, weak, and alone. The three surrounding him were known for their varying levels of insanity. Known for how they would gruesomely toy with downed contestants.

 

Reaper stood above him, looking down at him from the pitless sockets of his mask, the hood only causing him to look even more deadly as he ignored the bickering of his teammates. "What loot you got?" He questioned now, the other two falling silent to look down at the wounded man.

 

"Can't you see it?" Octane responded, the tremble in his voice all but revealing the fear he was feeling.

 

Reaper crouched down now, reaching out to take a firm grip on Octavio's throat, yanking him close. "Are you wanting to play?"

 

Shaking violently in the grip so cold it was disconcerting, Octane shook his head. "I've got a level four backpack. Spitfire but with no ammo... That's the only good stuff."

 

Nomad straightened up a little more, turning towards Vampyr, body language all but screaming smug.

 

Reaper, however, just nodded once before reaching up towards Octane's face, causing the younger man to flinch back. This caused the taller to chuckle, though the sound turned into a rattling cough, Reaper turning his face into his shoulder as he coughed and gagged, grip on Octane's throat tightening, causing the racer's hands to fly up to his wrist as he choked. He could hear Caustic's voice over his headset, though whatever he was saying was drowned out by the sound of blood rushing in his ears, Octane biting his lower lip as he tried to break Reaper's grip.

 

Coughing fit over, Reaper watched the man struggling against his grip, relished the way Octane looked at him in desperation, all but pleading for him to let go. After a few more moments, he did, his companions watching is disinterest as Octavio rolled onto his good side, one hand protectively covering his throat as he gasped for breath.

 

"Where's your squad?"

 

Octane turned to look up at Reaper again, mutely shaking his head. "They're gone. One got eliminated, the other landed a thousand meters from us. I don't know where he is now." He answered, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

 

"Sure. Caustic was on your squad, and you all but cling to his side," Vampyr spoke up, one hand on their hip as they regarded him with renewed interest.

 

Forcing a smile, Octane shrugged one shoulder. "Alright, maybe I was the guy that landed a thousand meters from them. Hey, I like the thrill." His voice cracked, his feigned confidence all but melting away when he turned his attention back onto Reaper... He'd gotten closer while he'd been focusing on Vampyr. "Whoa, back up there,  _compadre,_ " Octane ground out, holding an arm out as if that would keep the much taller contestant at bay.

 

Reaper all but smacked it aside as one would an annoying insect, reaching out to rip off Octane's mask. The racer's goggles were dislodged from their place on his forehead, landing in the grass a few feet from where he lay.

 

"What are you-" His words were lost in the cry of pain that followed, Reaper's boot roughly pressing down on the wound in his side as he held Octane's mask up to his ear.

 

"Ah, Alexander Nox." Reaper spoke, the name leading Octavio to try and bite back his cries of pain, the man above him falling silent as he listened to whatever Caustic was saying through the headset. "Oh, Nox, don't be so crude." He responded, grinding the heel of his boot down  _hard_. Octane couldn't hold back the scream of pain, nausea and delirium assaulting him from all sides as he gripped Reaper's ankle, the only nearby leverage he could find, a broken sob freed from between parted lips. "Can you hear him?"

 

Octane sobbed from the pain, nails desperately clawing at Reaper's boot, the tips of his fingers burning from the force of it. "Alex, don't! Don't come! They-"

 

Reaper stared down at Octane in amusement, putting more and more weight on his wounds until he was reduced to unintelligible pleas for it to stop. "I asked, can you hear him?" He repeated, a smirk curling it's way onto his lips.

 

"Leave him alone, he hasn't done anything to you," Caustic's voice was strained, punctuated by rasping gasps.... He was running. 

 

"Are you coming for him, Nox? Is he truly that special to you?" Reaper questioned, ignoring the scientist's previous comment. "Perhaps I will leave him here. Or at least, what's left of him."

 

Octane had gone still now, hugging the line between consciousness and the darkness beyond that. That just wouldn't do. Reaper reached down to grasp the younger man's jacket, dragging him back over to the cliff side, shoving him down against it. The speedster was almost too delirious with pain to make much sound, not that Reaper cared. He had Caustic's attention.

 

"Well, Nox... I suppose the question you must ask yourself is 'how much does he really mean to me'." The self-appointed lord of death turned away from the half-conscious Octane. " _Should_ you come for him? You could still possibly win the games. And he is half-dead already. We won't even get much out of him."

 

There wasn't even a pause before Caustic answered, voice heavy with anger and, to Reaper's pleasure, fear. "I'm coming."

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some warnings for this (some spoilers too but i wanna explain the situation)
> 
> -Non Consensual Kissing (one, detailed)  
> -Detailed Description of Death/blood  
> -Some humiliation maybe? Reaper makes Octane suck his thumb, like it's meant to be demeaning sexually? Idk what tag that would use?
> 
> Also if I made mistakes in bloodhound's pronouns, please let me know so i can fix it!!

Octane could barely hold his head up. Everything hurt, his side was a numb ache that would quickly transition into a jab of white-hot agony should he move even the slightest bit. He could hear the three above him talking amongst themselves, though Reaper was predominantly quiet. Quiet in an horribly eerie way, much like death itself was, he supposed. Still, even through his delirium, Octane felt fear for his lover. Caustic shouldn't come for him. If he did, Reaper would get what he wanted. But a tiny part of him wanted Caustic to come to him, wanted so badly for the scientist to lift him in his arms and take him far away from here. Away from the three insane murderers surrounding him.

 

The splash of water disturbed by booted feet had Octane tensing up, though he was too tired to open his eyes. He already had an idea who it was, so he didn't bother opening his eyes as who he guessed to be Reaper crouched beside him, arm wrapping around his shoulder as he pulled the slim legend in close to his side.

 

It was nerve wracking, being so close to Reaper, but Octane didn't have the strength to put up a fight or protest. He just lay against the taller's side, ear pressed to his chest, listening to the stuttering of Reaper's heart.  _So he does have some sort of heart... It sounds funny..._ Once Octane might've commented on this fact to further irritate the monster currently holding him as one would a lover, but he lacked the strength to do so.

 

"So small," Reaper murmured in that rasping tone, gloved fingers mounted with steel claws ran up Octane's neck to gently grip his chin, turning the runner's face towards himself so he could further study him. "Nox always loved tiny things... Most would think it would be easier to break, the smaller it was, but most of the time what they lacked for in size they gained in will... What makes you so special?" The shrouded man -no,  _creature_ \- questioned, more to himself than to Octane.

 

Eyes slitting open, Octane looked up at Reaper as best he could, shaking slightly from the cold of the steel claws tapping a tune into his jaw, the younger legend trying to find some clarity of mind with which to answer. Was his captor even wanting an answer?

 

Reaper looked down at him from the pitless sockets of his mask, a flash of red sometimes glinting through the darkness, the two legends studying one another for several moments before the taller reached up to push the skull-like mask up his face. He leaned in quickly, faster than Octane had time to react or peer into the darkness to make out whether or not Reaper had a face, cold lips covering his own.

 

Octane's eyes widened in surprise, the racer's heartbeat picking up as he tried to turn his face away from the kiss, Reaper's grip only tightening painfully so to hold him in place as he forced his tongue between his lips. It felt so wrong, Reaper was cold, there was no taste, nothing romantic. He was just taking, the kiss aggressive and hungry, Octane trying to lift his arm from his side to push the larger legend away, cursing his own weakness when he could only manage a twitching of fingers. A distressed sound escaped him now, Reaper all but devouring his fear and distressed whimpers when a new voice broke the through the darkness seeming to drown Octane.

 

" _Tav!_ "

 

Reaper pulled away from the kiss, hand reaching up to slide his mask back into place though he made no movement to remove himself from the racer's side, the bastard only pulling the shivering form closer as he turned his attention onto the newcomer.

 

"Alexander Nox, a welcome surprise," the shrouded legend hummed, falling silent as he allowed the scientist to size up the situation.

 

Caustic was shaking with both anger and fear, breath coming in raspy gasps as his abused lungs attempted to recover from his sprint. He looked at Reaper, horrified with just how close his lover was to the monstrous contestant. Reaper had one arm wrapped around Octane, holding the smaller man close to his side, free hand splayed over the runner's abdomen in a suggestive way.

 

"Get away from him!" Caustic shouted, taking a step forward only for Vampyr and Nomad to step up on either side of their leader, serving as a twisted form of guard as Reaper turned his head away to cough into his shoulder. It gave the scientist a slight sort of pleasure in watching his hated enemy choke on his own breath. "Leave him alone, Kruthe," the brunette ordered, voice cracking to betray the emotion he was attempting to hide. "I'm the one you want, and I'm here now." He was almost pleading now.

 

Coughing fit done, Reaper regarded Caustic in interest for several moments before he moved to stand, pulling the speedster up with him, all but forcing Octane to stand. "We both know the best way to make someone suffer is to go after those they care about... I must say I'm disappointed, Nox. I didn't think getting back at you would be so easy." The taller legend shrugged a shoulder, though he made no move towards Octane. At least not yet. "The great Alexander Nox. Brightest of his corporation. Murderer." Reaper spoke in a nonchalant tone as his fingers went to Octane's chin again, turning his face upwards so the runner was forced to look up at him, loving the way Octavio whimpered and tried to fight his grip to look back at his lover. "Falling for a tiny, puny little thing such as this."

 

Caustic took another step forward, eyes wide even as Vampyr and Nomad blocked his path, the latter giving him a warning shove, though it barely moved the heavy-set scientist. "Kruthe, please, I'll do anything you want, just please, I beg-"

 

Reaper's spun towards Caustic now, a dark hiss escaping from somewhere in the black beneath the mask. "Did I not also beg you that day?" He questioned, tone sharper than a serrated blade. "Did I not crawl at your feet and beg for you to show me mercy?" 

 

The air was heavy with tension, fear, and anger. Reaper seeming to calm after several moments as he looked back down at Octane, fingers cupping his chin as his thumb ran along the bleeding lower lip he had bitten during their kiss, thumb slipping between soft lips even as Octane tried to turn his face away again. "Suck it." Reaper ordered, ignoring Caustic's obvious rage as he tried to push past Vampyr and Nomad now. 

 

Ignoring the commotion as Octane tried to shake his head at his order, Reaper chuckled. "Do it and I won't kill your precious scientist." The runner hung limp in his grasp, looking up at him with furrowed brow as he did as he was told, lips closing around the finger in his mouth as he suckled at it, face hot with shame. 

 

"Stop it! Stop it Kruthe! I'm here!" Caustic shouted as he fought against the two holding him back, both of which seemed to struggle to do so. "Do whatever you want to me! Leave him alone!"

 

Reaper hummed to himself as he watched Octane lick and suck at the clawed glove, the runner freezing when the taller man pressed down on his tongue, pinning it to the bottom of his mouth while the sharp tip of the claw like ornament bit deep enough to draw a trickle of blood. "Perhaps I would've let you go, little Silva," Kruthe murmured softly, tone mockingly apologetic. "But there's one little thing..."

 

Cold steel pressed against his throat now, Octane's delirium-addled mind struggling to process what was happening as he looked up at Reaper in confusion.

 

"You're wearing level 4 body armour."

 

Octane felt a lance of white hot pain in his throat, the speedster stumbling forward as he was suddenly released, confused as hot wetness fell along the skin of his throat and chest, soaking into his shirt as he took a step forwards, Reaper leaning close to his ear over his shoulder. "I told you not to lie to me."

 

Yes... When he had been first wounded, Alexander had put his own level 4 body shield onto him before leaving him behind. The armour meant to be an added protection should he encounter another squad before the scientist returned. Perhaps, injured as he was, it was an attempt to comfort his lover. To give him peace of mind.

 

He had forgotten.

 

Octane's eyes turned onto Caustic now, the scientist staring at him in horror from where he was held between Vampyr and Nomad, the speedster's brow furrowed as he tried to ask what was wrong. His mouth opened, jaw working though nothing came out but a choked cough, Octane falling foward as Caustic pulled away from his captors to catch him.

 

Safe in his lover's arms now, Octane tried to smile up at him, arm jerking as he tried to reach up for Caustic's face. To touch, comfort. The attempt at a smile failed, even as Octane read the pain in the brown eyes above him, tears filling them as the smaller legend tried to speak again. He felt cold. His fingers were numb, it was getting harder to think... Octane felt fear now as he grasped the full realization of what had happened, of what was happening. 

 

_He was dying._

 

Octane became desperate with the realization, the daredevil struggling to form words, to apologize, to tell Alexander how much he loved him. Nothing would form, the runner choking on the blood that spilled out his mouth and down his chin. He was terrified, but the greatest pain he felt was seeing the agony on his lover's face as Caustic sobbed, body shaking violently as he pulled Octane closer to himself, holding him so tightly that the smaller man would've tried to squirm from his hold were the situation any different.

 

_I can't tell him._

 

Octane stared up at Caustic, body jerking slightly again as he tried to speak. How cruel is it to only have moments left with the one you love and be unable to speak? To tell them everything you want them to know?

 

_I can't tell him I love him._

 

Caustic was shaking violently as he held Octavio, his overcoat slick with blood, the scent overpowering. He stared mutely as his lover jerked and looked back up at him with fear in his dull gaze. Dull... Not alive and mischievous as it usually was. Dull. Octavio was dying.

 

"Tav..." Caustic forced the words out between his sobs, "Tav, I'm... I'm so sorry..." The scientist broke off into another bout of heavy crying, fighting to find the words that didn't come naturally to him. The words that were so hard to speak. The words he rarely said... Didn't say enough. "Tav, I love you." Caustic choked out, tears streaming down his face to escape into his beard, the larger legend sitting back on his knees, Octane held tightly in his arms as the daredevil gave a final shudder. 

 

Caustic couldn't bring himself to look down at Octane as his body went still, anger and hatred warring with his grief as he looked up at the three surrounding him. 

 

Reaper reached out to give the side of his face a condescending pat before he held up a thin strip of glass and steel. It had Octane's image on it, his name...

 

Eyes widening, Caustic attempted to snatch the banner from the taller, Reaper easily pulling it out of reach, holding it between his hands for a moment before breaking it in half. "No respawns, Nox. Ever." The shrounded male announced in a cold voice, dropping the two pieces into the mud between him and Caustic. His group turning away then to leave the scientist in his grief.

 

Shaking violently in shock, grief and anger. Caustic clutched Octane more desperately, the daredevil's head resting in the crook of his elbow, as the scientist muttered to himself. "They won't get away with this, Tav... I promise... They're going to suffer... They're going to wish death came sooner." The scientist mumbled, rocking back and forth.

 

Footsteps sounded but Caustic didn't look up. Was Reaper smart enough to realize he should finish the job? 

 

"What the fuck..."

 

"By the allfather."

 

Caustic paused now, looking up with his tearstained face at the squad that had arrived. Arrived moments too late.

 

Mirage, Bloodhound, and Pathfinder looked down at him.

 

Gagging, Mirage covered his mouth as he turned away from the sight. Bloodhound remained unmoving, unreadable behind their mask while Pathfinder stood stock still with a horrified emoji on the screen covering his chest.

 

Bloodhound seemed to recover first, the hunter dropping their gun to kneel down across from Caustic. The tilt of their helm showing that they were looking up at the scientist as they slowly reached out for Octane's body. "Give him to me,  _elskan_ ," they murmured in a gentle tone, Caustic briefly tightening his grip on the daredevil's body.

 

"It's ok, friend," Pathfinder spoke up now, though he made no move to get close to the scientist. "Bloodhound and us just want to help!"

 

"You can't help the dead." Caustic answered, voice hoarse from his crying, though he relented his hold on Octane so Bloodhound could pull the speedster into their own arms. They moved to stand, and part of the scientist wanted to follow suit, to get up and pull his lover away from the dangerous tracker, but he didn't. He made a promise. Octane was dead. Nothing could save him now. But Reaper still lived, and that was a mistake he needed to correct.

 

"Uh, where are you going?" Mirage questioned as he noticed the scientist head in the opposite direction than he and his team.

 

Caustic didn't give the holographic trickster the dignity of a response, instead heading off in the direction of the bunker. He had work to do, and a promise to keep.

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism is encouraged
> 
> I tried my hand at smut and it wasn't going well. But I'm good at angst and sad stories so...


End file.
